Treatment of reels of paper such as newsprint



- March 23, 1 965 K. w. H. DENK ETAL 3,174,369 TREATMENT OF REELS OF PAPER SUCH AS NEWSPRINT Filed May 2, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 HIT):

March 23, 1965 K. w. l-LpENK ETAL TREATMENT OF REELS OF' PAPER SUCH AS NEWSPRINT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 2, 1962 March 23 1965 K. w. H. DENK ETAL 3,174,369

rIAREJATMENT OF REELS lOF PAPER SUCH AS NEWSPRINT Filed May 2, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 /fwf/v ross United States Patent Office 3,174,369 Patented Mar. 2.3, 1965 3,174,369 TREATMENT F REELS 0F PAPER SUCH AS NEWSPRINT Kurt W. H. Denk and Thomas G. L. Grimths, both of 174 Main St., Johannesburg, Transvaal, Republic ot' South Africa; `Iohanna Denk, executrix of said Kurt W. H. Denk, deceased Filed May 2, 1962, Ser. No. 193,061 Claims priority, application Republic of South Africa, `Ian. 5, 1959, 24/59 8 Claims. (Cl. 82-101) This application is a continuation-in-part of patent application Serial Number 254, filed January 4, 1960, and now abandoned, by Kurt W. H. Denk, I ames E. W. Jupp and Thomas G. L. Griffiths.

Reels of newsprint delivered to the consumer are frequently damaged in transit. The damage usually takes the form of tears at one or both corners of the reel which may extend quite deeply into the thickness of the reel.

The reels are purchased from the paper mills in widths suitable for the particular rotary presses owned by the consumer; and in order to render a damaged reel lit for use lin the press for which it was made, the standard technique is to cut away so much of the reel diameter as is necessary to get rid of the damaged paper. This is done by longitudinally slitting the reel.

The paper thus removed from the reel is not a complete waste since it can be sol-d for low-grade wrapping paper, but the monetary return is only a fraction of the original cost of the paper and newspaper proprietors have perforce had to accept heavy losses as an inevitable expense.

When different reel widths are used in an establishment, attempts have been made to vary the standard procedure by removing damaged Zones by cutting through the thickness of the reel. These attempts have never, to applicants knowledge, succeeded, apparently because no straight cut through the reel could be achieved, because the cut Aface was not smooth and also because the heat generated by the cutting operation charred the paper.

Another circumstance in which a reel of newsprint may require dissection occurs in paper mills where reels narrower than the standard width manufactured are required. In present practice the standard web of paper is unrolled, slit to the required width and rewound.

The object of the present invention is to provide a machine which enables reels to be cut through radially so that damaged zones can be eliminated with little waste, or wide reels can be dissected to form narrower reels.

An embodiment of the machine of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE l is a plan view;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section on the line 2--2 of FIGURE l, with partsV broken away;

FIGURE 3 is a side view of part of the machine;

FIGURE 4 is a side view on an enlarged scale of part of the saw;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of part of the saw;

FIGURE 6 is an elevation of a modified form, with parts broken away; and

FIGURE 7 is a vertical section on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 6.

The reel which is to be treated is numbered 1li, and consists in a tubular core 12, on which is wound a web 1d of paper. The line 16 (FIGURES 1 and 3) indicates where the reel is to be dissected, either by reason of damage to the reel in the zone numbered 18, or because a web of paper that is narrower than the full width of the web 14 is required. In the former case, the reel may also have to be dissected towards the yopposite end 20, if damages have occurred there too, andthe two cuts will be so spaced that the salvaged web will be of a width appropriate to the press to which it will be fed.

The machine has two Zones, a loading Zone generally designated 2?. in FIGURE l, and a sawing Zone 24.

A pair of rails 26 extends the length of both zones. On them is a wheeled carriage 28 which has two aligned open-topped bearings 30.

A shaft 32 is inserted through the cavity of the tubular core 12, to project from both ends of the reel 1li, and is secured to the core in any suitable way to prevent relative angular movement.

The reel is then rolled up a ramp 34 and maneuvered for the projecting ends of the shaft 32 to be received within the bearings 30. The trailing end of the shaft (that is, the end remote from the sawing Zone 24) is connected by a collar 36 to the output shaft of a reduction gearbox 38 driven by a motor 40, on the carriage 28, through a clutch 42. When the reel has been mounted on the carriage, the latter is pushed towards and into the sawing zone 24.

In the sawing zone, the machine includes a rectangular prismatic frame 44. The vertical corner members 46 of the frame constitute guides for two crossheads 4S, Sti, which carry rollers 52 that run on the corner members 46.

The crossheads provide bearings for the pulleys 54, 56 of a band saw 58. The crossheads are also guided for vertical movement by rods 69 slidably held within bushings 62 carried by the head members 64 of the frame 44.

One of the pulleys, 56 is driven through a belt 66 by a motor 68 mounted on a pedestal 70 steadied by a strut 71 from the frame 44. The belt drives a pulley 72 which is mounted on the shaft 74 that carries the pulley 56. The shaft 74 is splined to the pulley 72, to permit the shaft to ascend and descend while it is being driven.

The two crossheads are moved upwardly and downwardly by a motor 76 mounted on the frame 44 and which drives, through reduction gearing 78 and a chainand-sprocket drive Sti, a lateral shaft 82 carrying pinions S4.' The pinions are engaged with toothed racks 86 cut into rods 88 that extend upwardly from the crossheads. The rods S8 may be connected to counter-weights (not shown) at the ends of theA cables S9.

The rotation of the motor 76 is imparted to the pinions 84, which drive the racks 86 and thereby lower or raise the crossheads and the band saw. `Downward movement of the saw is limited by the operation of an electric eye 90 which, when the saw 5S intersects its beam, causes the motor 76 to be stopped. Y

Finally, there is a jack 92 below the mounted reel and vertically in line with one of the inner bights of the saw 5S. This is a mechanical jack and its function will be discussed later.

In FIGURES 6 and 7, the saw 58, as it cuts through the reel, passes down a slot 94. At the lower level of its permitted travel, that is immediately above the level of the shaft 32, the electric eye 90 is mounted, directed across the slot. Intersection of lthe ray operates relays 96 which cause the motor 76 to stop. The relays are arranged also to operate a motor 98 which, through gearing 100, drives the racks 86, but in the reverse direction to the motor 76, so that the saw is withdrawn upwardly. The motor 98 may be stopped manually or lit may be operated by a switch actuated by the racks. The gearing is designed for the withdrawal of the saw to be at a higher speed-say three timesthan the rate of feed.

In use, the reel to be treated is mounted, as above described, on the carriage 28, is marked to indicate where it is to be dissected, and is pushed into the sawing zone to bring the mark into line with the Vinner bight of the saw.

The reel is then rotated by the motor 40 and the motor 76 is started, to feed the saw downwardly into the rotating reel. It is essential that the saw never be lowered sutiiciently to bite into the shaft 32, and it is the duty of the elect-ric eye 90 to ensure that this does not occur. It is so placed that the saw interrupts its beam when the core 12 has been all but severed, and before the saw touches the shaft 32, whereupon the motor 76 is automatically stopped. The jack 92 is then brought into operation. Its plunger is lifted to bear agains-t the reel in the immediate vicinity of the cut inflicted by the saw, to relieve the saw blade and enable it to be retracted from the cut by reversing the motor 76 to lift the crossheads.

It may be necessary, or at least advisable, for the jack to act as a stop for the reel while sawing proceeds, in order to prevent binding of the saw blade. In that case the platform of the jack may be fitted with rollers on which the reel is supported.

In so far as the saw is concerned, it is formed with raker teeth, as shown in FIGURE 4. Preferably every second tooth is unset and the intermediate teeth are set alternately right and left, as shown in FIGURE 5, the set being .02 to .025 inch at the point of the tooth.

Preferably there are 3 teeth to the inch, but one to eight teeth can be used but efficiency is likely to drop as lthe number departs further away from three.

The manner of operation of the saw is important. The linear speed of the saw must be between 6000 and 8500 feet a minute, and preferably 7550, and the rate of feed of up to say inches a minute. The rate of withdrawal of the saw from the reel may, of course, be and preferably is, substantially greater.

Other dimensions and speeds which are important, but less so than those given above, are the depth of the saw teeth which should be about 1/s the tension of the blade, which should be of the order of 1500l pounds, and the speed of rotation of the reel, which should be of the order of 50 rpm.

Success of the machine is largely dependent upon observance of the data relating to the number of teeth to the inch, the speed of the saw and the rate of feed. Significant deviation from these factors results in charring of the paper, roughness of cut and wandering of the blade, which have hitherto been considered as fatal to the kind of machine in question. On the other hand, and contrary to all expectation, the machine of the invention, used as specified saws through reels in a straight line, without charring and leaves a smooth sawn face.

The advantages flowing from the use of the machine are very great indeed. There is a considerable saving in wasted paper and in time; relatively to the methods now practised to treat damaged reels. There is also saving in space, since the machine of the invention is more compact than most conventional slitting machines.

We claim:

1. A machine for dissecting newsprint comprising carriage mounted for horizontal movement over in a prescribed path including a loading position and a sawing position, a shaft disposed on the carriage and rotatably and detachably mounted in bearings therefor, said shaft being inserted into the hollow core of a reel of newsprint, gearing to drive the shaft, a motor to drive the gearing, a band saw arranged for movement in a path towards the shaft when the carriage is in the sawing position, means to move the saw along its path of movement, means to drive the band saw at a predetermined speed, jack means arranged on the opposite side of the mounted reel from the location of the band saw, said jack means being movable towards the band saw and bearing against said mounted reel in the sawing position, and means to limit the movement of the band saw towards the shaft.

2. The machine of claim 1 in which the limiting means comprises a photoelectric eye, the beam of which intersects the path of movement of the saw, and means controlled by interruption of the beam by the saw to prevent movement of the saw towards the mounting means beyond the point of intersection of the beam and the path.

3. The machine of claim 2 including a second motor arranged to move the saw along its path of movement in the direction away from the shaft at a speed greater than the speed at which the saw is moved towards the shaft; and means responsive to said interruption of the beam to start the second motor.

4. A machine for dissecting reels of paper, Such as newsprint, comprising a carriage mounted for horizontal movement along a prescribed path which includes a loading position and a sawing position, at least two opentopped bearings disposed upon said carriage, a shaft rotatably and detachably mounted in said bearings and arranged for insertion into the hollow core of a reel of paper, gear means for driving said shaft, a motor for driving the gear means, a band saw arranged for movement in a path towards said shaft when the carriage is in said sawing position, movable means for advancing said band saw along the path of movement towards said shaft, means for driving said band saw at a predetermined speed, jack means disposed on the opposite side of the mounted reel from the location of said band saw, said jack means being movable towards said band saw and bearing against the mounted reel in the sawing position, and means for limiting the movement of said band saw towards said shaft.

5. A machine for dissecting reels of paper, such as newsprint, comprising a carriage mounted for horizontal movement along a prescribed path which includes a loading position and a sawing position, at least two opentopped bearings disposed upon said carriage, a shaft rotatably and detachably mounted in said bearings and arranged for insertion into the hollow core of a reel of paper, gear means for driving said shaft, a motor for driving the gear means, a band saw arranged for movement in a path towards said shaft when the carriage is in said sawing position, movable means for advancing said band saw along the path of movement towards said shaft, means for driving said band saw at a predetermined speed, jack means disposed on the opposite side of the mounted reel from the location of said band saw, said jack means being movable towards said band saw and bearing against the mounted reel in the sawing position, and means for limiting the movement of said band saw towards said shaft comprising photoelectric circuit means for automatically preventing advancement of said band saw towards said shaft beyond a prescribed point of intersection of the photoelectric circuit means with the path of said band saw.

6. A machine for dissecting reels of paper, such as newsprint, comprising a carriage mounted for horizontal movement-along a prescribed path which includes a loading position and a sawing position, at least two opentopped bearings disposed upon said carriage, a shaft rotatably and detachably mounted in said bearings and arranged for insertion into the hollow core of a reel of paper, gear means for driving said shaft, a first motor for driving the gear means, a band saw arranged for movement over a cutting path towards said shaft when the carriage is in said sawing position, frame means for supporting said band saw for movements towards and away from said shaft along said cutting path, a second motor for advancing said frame means and the saw towards said shaft at a first speed, a third motor for withdrawing said frame means and the saw away from said shaft at a second speed greater than said first speed, transmission means for coupling said second motor and said third motor to the frame means, and photoelectric circuit means for automatically stopping said second motor and simultaneously starting said third motor in response to advancement of said band saw towards said shaft to a prescribed point of intersection of the photoelectric circuit means with said cutting path.

7. A machine for dissecting reels of paper, for instance of newsprint, comprising a saw, means including a rst motor to drive the saw, means for rotatably mounting a reel, means including a second motor for driving the mounted reel into rotation, saw feeding means for advancing said saw along a cutting path towards said mounting means and for retracting said saw away from said mounting means, and means for limiting the movement of said saw towards the mounting means comprising a photoelectric eye having a beam interrupted by said saw lat a prescribed point in said cutting path and control means responsive to such interruption of the beam for controlling the saw feeding means so as to retract the saw.

8. The machine of claim 7, and further comprising jack means disposed on the opposite side of the mounted reel from the saw, said jack means being movable towards References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Schailer E32-46.1

Sexton 82--101 Giles 82-101 Belden 5-165 Locke 143--55 Dewan 29-57 Klein 82-101 X WILLIAM W. DYER, IR., Primary Examiner.

said saw and bearing against the mounted reel in the 15 RICHARD H EANES JR" Examiner' sawing position. 

1. A MACHINE FOR DISSECTING NEWSPRINT COMPRISING CARRIAGE MOUNTED FOR HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT OVER IN A PRESCRIBED PATH INCLUDING A LOADING POSITION AND A SAWING POSITION, A SHAFT DISPOSED ON THE CARRIAGE AND ROTATABLY AND DETACHABLY MOUNTED IN BEARINGS THEREFOR, SAID SHAFT BEING INSERTED INTO THE HOLLOW CORE OF A REEL OF NEWSPRING, GEARING TO DRIVE THE SHAFT, A MOTOR TO DRIVE THE GEARING, A BAND SAW ARRANGED FOR MOVEMENT IN A PATH TOWARDS THE SHAFT WHEN THE CARRIAGE IS IN THE SAWING POSI- 